


the boyfriend and the mother-in-law

by candidshot



Series: Moments in the life of Alec and Magnus [33]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Apologies, Awkward Conversations, Established Relationship, Fluff and Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-14
Updated: 2017-09-14
Packaged: 2018-12-27 19:55:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12088242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/candidshot/pseuds/candidshot
Summary: By chance, Maryse and Magnus met each other in an elevator at the Institute. It was awkward, but it made sense for them to have had that long overdue talk.Can be read independently but is related to Part 23 of this 'moments' series.Part 23: Let's Talk About The Boyfriend





	the boyfriend and the mother-in-law

**Author's Note:**

> Moments in the Life of Alec and Magnus series; random/unrelated writings in the form of drabbles/ficlets that have only 1 thing in common, Magnus and Alec being madly in love. mostly. XD

Magnus isn’t having a good day.

It’s been mean and tiring and things just got a whole awkward when he finds himself in the same elevator as Maryse.

Needless to say, he could hear things breaking inside him.

Though, thinking about it more, awkward is hardly sufficient to describe the air at this single moment. 

Suffocating. Yep. That’s probably more like it.

But Magnus is a gentleman and like it or not, he’s in the presence of his boyfriend’s mother. This being the case, he puts aside his discomfort and shows respect to the in-law.

And that he does, forcing on his best smile as he gets on the elevator immediately greeting, “Maryse, it’s good seeing you again”. The door closes with just the two of them inside.

Of course, being the queen of good acting, she smiles back, “Magnus…”, and he can hear something lingering with the way she calls his name.

Anyhow, Magnus decides to ignore it all and is instead, watching the passing lights on the elevator buttons as it goes up. Though, very seriously, he’s contemplating getting off at a lower floor to escape the awkwardness – but he soon dumps the idea since everyone knows he’s going to see Alec whose office was all the way at the top. So getting off earlier would make him seem petty, and petty is what Magnus won’t have. In a suffocating sigh he internally curses the entire day – his only comfort being that soon, he’ll be seeing and hugging and kissing Alec.  

Though, Magnus can’t help but wonder what Alec would think should he and Maryse at least play to get along. After all, so much has happened since Alec’s coming out to being gay. However, Magnus knew old ways are set in stone and it would take more than a few months and good deeds to erase whatever ideals shadowhunters were brainwashed to believe. Heck, it’s only recently, since dating Magnus, that Alec started learning to not stereotype all downworlders.

Anyhow, if Alec could’ve walked down the aisle and out of his own wedding to claim his lips in front of the Clave, then surely, Magnus can endure an elevator ride with his mother. He just has to breathe and wait… any second now he’ll be ---

“I never got a chance to thank you the other day”. The suddenness of a conversation starting actually throws Magnus off balance, causing him to flinch and turn around, his eyes widening for a split second. “I am late. But I do thank you”.

It’s only then that it finally registers, and Magnus actually fully turns around to look at her – and what he finds, surprises him - had him thrown off the tracks a bit. What was usually cold and calculating on Maryse is now a rather kind, sincere, motherly and soft countenance and it threw Magnus off track so much that he partly stutters in his response. “No. Not at all. I wasn’t of any use, in the end. Has Max been recovering well?”

The smile on Maryse makes out to be a whole new face to Magnus. “No. You did plenty. You tried your hardest and that meant a lot to us... to Alec”.

Magnus actually finds himself blushing either from flattery or utter confusion. To think Maryse actually… that she willingly brings up Magnus and Alec’s relationship so natural with kindness is almost as if she has accepted them. And all this is great news but Magnus can’t help but be wary because really----- this is Maryse.  

He mentally steadies himself as he answers. “No. It’s really nothing. I’ll do anything for Alexander”.

“I know”, she smiles, the gesture is free and genuine and Magnus even starts to think that there surely are wrongs in this world that can be cleansed with her smile.

It’s only an elevator ride but so much is happening, so many feelings being stirred inside Magnus and suddenly, he’s no longer sure if he wanted to hurry and reach his stop or talk some more and discover the new person in front of him. However, his nerve gets to him and he decides to just ride things out until he could properly piece everything together.

In the lingering silence that’s filled with his thoughts and her thoughts;

“Magnus…”, she calls his name in a voice soft and without malice.  So he again turns around to face her and it’s then she says, “Truly, thank you”. The way the words leaves her mouth almost seem as though she has been waiting for this very moment and is relieved to have finally claimed her wrongdoing, while hoping to be forgiven… or at least, get past it.

He returns her kindness in the way his eyes warmly smiles at her. “Don’t mention it. I was really happy to help”.

“I know. And that’s why I’m thanking you – not just for trying to save Max but also, for taking care of Alec, for being there for him. Thank you very much”.

This time, a full smile blooms on Magnus. “The pleasure is all mine”.

All this time, she hasn’t averted her eyes from him. But in all that directness, Magnus can also sense a hesitation and he presumes it might be about ‘what comes next’. So he keeps his smile and patiently waits on her. At last, with her eyes big and bold like Alec’s, she steels her resolve and finally says it.

“I… If I had to start from the beginning to explain we would need the whole day”, she starts, her eyes still steady, her breathing is also steady. “But even that, is no excuse for the way I’ve treated you”, she inhales deeply, releasing with, “I am sorry, Magnus. I was shortsighted and prejudiced and I’ve wronged you”.

Tongue-tied is hardly sufficient to describe Magnus’s current state at hearing this… at seeing Maryse Lightwood, apologising to him, a downworlder, a warlock who’s dating her son. So he just stands there looking at her and he’s lost in awe - and it isn’t until she clears her throat with a timid smile that he snaps out of it and replies with an awed distant voice, “Thank you. That means a lot. It really means a lot to us”.

As though relieved that things are going better than she’d anticipated, she sucks in a deep breath and slowly releases it. “Well that’s new. I thank you and you’re thanking me. I think that’s progress”, she laughs as though to tuck her nerves away. “Alec will be proud”.

He’s still looking at her. It’s amazing how their mutual love for Alec have them making up like this. Who would’ve imagined that Magnus Bane and Maryse Lightwood would be sharing a genuine laugh?

Even Magnus himself is smiling at the whole surprise of the situation.

“I’m sure he will be”.

The day started to feel good. At that very moment, everything feels very light and powerful and he can hardly wait to see Alec and tell him everything.

The elevator finally dings and the doors open. It’s Maryse’s stop. Call it nerve or just her honest pleasure, but her face is still kind as she excuses herself with a smile. But then she suddenly stops and turns around – almost a little dramatic that it causes Magnus to hold his breath, thinking that perhaps everything had happened only in his head - that Maryse is in fact the Maryse he’d always known and that she is about to laugh at him or say something evil. And with the way she’s wordlessly looking at him with a near unreadable gesture, it gives him belly cramps and has the nerves in his head pounding.

But all that anxiety suddenly gets washed away at that very moment the elevator doors are about to meet and close in the middle. It’s as though everything starts to happen in slow motion with the way Magnus’s eyes slowly widen when Maryse very nonchalantly says, “let’s talk more over dinner with everyone”.

“…”

Even when Magnus reaches Alec’s office he still thinks it’s his imagination.  

Speechless for the first minute or two.

“Magnus, what’s wrong?” Alec walks across the office to ask, his face cringing in concern.

Still at a loss for words, Magnus could only reply, “I met Maryse just moments ago”.

That alone sets Alec on high alert. Just when he’d started to believe his mother is finally accepting of him and his life together with Magnus--- his heart sinks a bit wondering just what his mother could have done this time around. 

“I’m sorry, Magnus”.  Alec apologises even before hearing an explanation.

Magnus looks at him with knitted brows. “For what?”, but he then suddenly realises what’s happening.  “Oh it’s nothing to apologise for, hun. It’s just that, she thanked me, then apologised, then invited me to dinner”. Magnus's  _faraway deep in thought and still trying to make sense of what had happened with Maryse_  look pulls a laugh from Alec.

“Now do you believe me?”, Alec smiles, hugging Magnus just above the waistline from behind. “I told you. Mother is on our side now”.

Magnus is rocking back into Alec’s embrace. “But why? How comes?”.

Alec shrugs. Hugging Magnus tighter as he lightly brushes a kiss against his forehead. “I guess she finally sees that you’re perfect for me and that I love you”.

Magnus hums a thinking sound, turns around and brushes his lips against Alec’s shoulder and whispers, “You’re perfect for me too”.

“Oh, is that a smile I see? I didn’t expect you to be that excited for dinner”.

“True. But something else has me very excited”.

Alec’s curiosity is piqued. “And that would be?”

“Let’s just say, not all bad days are terrible”.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly how it sounds”.

“You’re being cryptic again”.

Magnus laughs, rocking himself in Alec’s arms. “Nothing of the sort, my Alexander”.

Because you see, dinner is one thing. But perhaps he and Maryse would better bond over wine and Alec’s baby photo album, and the possibility of that had Magnus tingling with excitement.

“Well, whatever”, Alec hugs him tighter, totally unaware. “I’m just happy that you’re happy”.  

Magnus breathes in again, releasing a wind of happiness with a smile.

“Yes. I’m very happy”.

After all;

He might very much get along with his mother-in-law.

_\---_

_magnus x alec[](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shadowhunters?src=hash)_


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